War of Thirst
The War of Thirst was fought between the Rum Baroncy, a colony state of the Kymurian Empire and the Al-Danbarr dynasty over control of the western and central part of El-Azer. It is referred to as The War of Thirst for being fought in the semi-arid Azer desert. It was the bloodiest military conflict fought in the Anjuin Islands. During the war, both countries faced difficulties shipping arms and supplies. The Rum Baroncy faced particular external trade problems, coupled with poor internal communications. Although the Rum Baroncy had the backing of the Kymurian Empire, had lucrative mining income and a larger, better-equipped army, a series of factors turned the tide against it, and The Al-Danbarr armies came to control most of the disputed zone by war's end. The ultimate peace treaties granted all of the disputed territories, minus Rum City, to the Anjuins. The War is often attributed to the resurgent power of the Al-Danbarr dynasty, coupled with a vast economic crisis in Kymuria and their apparent weakness. Strengths The Anjuins had a population only a third as large as that of the Kymurians (880,000 vs. 2,150,000), but its innovative style of fighting, centred on rapid marches and flanking encirclements, compared to Kymuria's more conventional strategy, enabled it to take the upper hand. At the outbreak of war the Anjuin army totalled about 4,026 men (355 combat officers, 146 surgeons and non-combatant officers, 200 cadets, 690 NCOs and 2,653 soldiers). Both racially and culturally, the army was practically homogeneous. Almost all of its soldiers were mixed Azer-Xhosi Frahls. The Kymurian army, however, consisted mostly of conscripted men from Rum city and the coastal towns (90% of the infantry troops), the lower-ranking officers were of mainland ancestry, and the army commander-in-chief Hans von Roldroff was from the Kymurian river region. In spite of the fact that the Kymurian army had more manpower, it never mobilized more than 60,000 men, and never more than two-thirds of the army were in the Azer desert at any one time. (Of those 60,000, 11,000 were Drisham Loyal troops) An Outmost diplomat reported that the average Kymurian officer had never been anywhere close to the desert and "had not the slightest expectation of visiting it in the course of his life". Most of the Kymurian infantry had little interest in fighting, let alone dying for the Azer. Furthermore, the typical soldier was a Rum or Emir-born peasant conscript accustomed to life on the cool, raised coastal provinces who did not fare well in the low-lying, hot and humid land of the Azer. Spohm Outpost Incident In 812KF, an Anjuin detachment captured and burned to the ground a small dock on the eastern coast of EL Azer. One month later, a Drisham detachment drove the Anjuins from the area. After the initial incident, Sultan Tombah changed his status quo policy over the disputed area and ordered a full coastal invasion of the reason, calculating that the economic turmoil of Kymuria would play to his advantage. The breaking of the fragile status quo in the disputed areas of the Azer convinced Baron-General Hans von Roldroff that a diplomatic solution on agreeable terms was not possible. Tombah prepared for a large offensive before the Kymurians would have mobilized their whole army. They quickly encircled 400 Kymurian Drisham Troops at Fort Huw. The War Begins The Kymurian high command ordered an immediate relief operation to march to the aid of the coast. The 3,500 strong infantry force was ambushed and defeated near the Anjuin outpost of Yucra, suffering 1,200 casualties. With no relief forth coming, Kymurian commander Morey Marzana refused to surrender. With daily average temperatures rising above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, both sides suffered from a lack of water. The Anjuin supplies of the precious liquid were 25 miles to the east at Isla Poi. The Kymurians were on the other hand relying on small wells within the eastern region. The Kymurian relief never really materialised, therefore the garrison had to endure a strict code of water rationing. As the siege progressed into its' third week, conditions within the fortress became desperate. Kymurian soldiers were even reported of have cried out to their Anjuin enemies for water. Sultan Tombah was now informed that the wells at Isla Poi, were becoming dangerously low due to over extraction. He ordered an all out attack on the outpost and three days later, the last 240 Kymurian defenders surrendered. A month later, General von Roldroff arrived at the defensive works surrounding the Anjuin fort of Nanawa, some sixty miles Southwest of Fort Huw. The 1,200 strong garrison would find themselves opposite a Kymurian force numbering nearly 6,000 unmounted cavalry ( their chargers having had succumbed to dehydration and consumption ). The defenders within Nanawa were well supplied and organized. The surrounding area composed an intricate network of interlocking zig zag trench systems, surrounded with wicker fences and cheval-de-frises, as well as several large artillery emplacements. In the next six days von Roldroff would do nothing more than order his men too launch three nearly suicidal frontal assaults at the Anjuin defenses. By the next months end, Nanawa had cost the Kymurians’ 2,000 men in relation to Anjuin losses of only 250.The remaining Kymurian forces did not leave the area however, instead they positioned themselves in a rough semicircle around the Anjuin siegeworks. The only positive news the Kymurian high command would receive during this costly failure was the defeat of Anjuin forces in the battle of Boro Dune. It would take another four months’ before the temperatures lowered. The Kymurians’ now began excavating a single underground tunnel in the direction of the main Anjuin defensive positions surrounding Nanawa. Once completed, they filled the end chamber with sparkpowder and set about finalising their preparations to capture the fortress. The explosives were detonated just thirty yards from the Anjuin front lines. The massive explosion killed fifty men outright and tore a huge gap in the defensive fortifications. General von Roldroff as he had done at his defeat five months’ prior, once again simply ordered a frontal assault ( the largest of the entire war ) sending 7,000 Kymurian soldiers forward advancing in line. After some initial Kymurian gains, Emir Irrazabal reorganized his Anjuin forces and soon responded with a massed cavalry charge, quickly recapturing the fortifications overrun by the Kymurian Infantry attack. General von Roldroff would continue to order his men to repeat these tactics for the next six days until his army was bled white and could no longer continue as an organized fighting force. Siege of Grentol The next month, the Anjuins’ quickly took advantage of the Kymurian re deployment by surrounding Grentol with a ring of sparkmusket fire. Colonel Toro, in command of the Drisham “Loa’’ Regiment, marched his 500 men from their main barracks at Munoz, to assist the lone Regiment. The Anjuin Great Gun Artillery began shelling the Kymurian positions’. Within hours most of the Regiments operational staff including its commander Major Collen. General von Roldroff, who was the senior officer in the sector, now assumed overall command. Without any situation reports from the battlefield, nor a personal reconnaissance of the area, Roldroffs’ first order was to blindly halt the advance of Regiment “Loa” and forbid Colonel Toro any freedom of movement or action without his personal authorisation. Most of the remaining officers recommended an immediate withdrawal to Acre while the main road still lay open. General von Roldroff at his headquarters to the south at Foa-Cabo, responded with orders to hold all ground. Colonel Toro now requested permission to join the battle, but was denied. Toro could no longer sit idle while his fellow countrymen’s continuous requests for assistance be denied. Toro chose to directly disobey Roldroff and marched the “Loa” Regiment North, towards Grentol in support of the trapped men. Once von Roldroff learned of Toro’s blatant insubordination, he flew into a rage and relieved him of his command. Von Roldroff now personally traveled to Grentol to access the situation. Upon arrival, von Roldroff wrongly concluded that the Loa Regiment was facing the main Anjuin attack and did nothing to prevent the 15,000 men of the Anjuin 1st Royal Regiment to slowly outflank and encircle the camp. The next day, the maneuver was complete, Grentol was completely surrounded. 1,800 men remained inside the outpost. Early on the next morning, Colonel Wrettin ordered in the first assault, but was easily repulsed suffering heavy casualties. Around midday his second attack did manage to capture the redoubt’s comprising the enemy’s first line of defensive work’s. It was however the complete and utter failure of the third Kymurian attack to reach the Anjuin’s second line of trenches which signalled the end of the relief operation. Later that evening the supply corps within the pocket informed von Roldroff the dire news that all supplies of water had been exhausted in the day’s fighting. By mid afternoon of the next day clear skies and a blazing sun had brought with them scorching temperatures reaching nearly 120’ degree’s Fahrenheit. Although the Kymurian’s had plenty of food stores, extreme thirst had severely swollen thier throats, preventing the soldiers from eating. During the night unusually hot temperatures levelling off at 78 degrees made even breathing difficult for the trapped garrison. By morning, all activity within the Kymurian camp had come to a complete stop. Men were collapsing from dehydration and unable to move. During the day Kymurian soldiers began crying out to their enemy for water. Kymurian officer’s were now forced to draw their weapons on their own men to keep them from deserting. Later that evening von Roldroff's H.Q. began receiving casualty reports stating cause of death to be severe dehydration. Colonel Wrettin had seen and heard enough, he ordered his command to lay down their arms and formally surrendered the garrison. Sultan Tombah accepted, thus ending the sixteen day battle. Among the troops which capitulated, the Kymurian camp also rendered large amounts of weapons and food stores, enough to re supply two Anjuin Regiments. Soon after the victory at Grentol, Sultan Tombah approved his staff's plans for a new offensive. Battles of the Altin Dunes With two pincers closing in on them from either flank, and Roldroff's will not to surrender, the Kymurian’s launched a breakout attempt towards the North of Altin. After ten hours of fighting it was clear the assault had failed, von Roldroff ordered a halt to the operation after suffering 800 casualties. The next afternoon, the Kymurian’s again attacked the Northern approaches to the area. After some initial success the Kymurian’s broke the Anjuin lines and for a brief period broke out into the countryside. But the Sultan quickly sent in reserve units and closed the breach, inflicting an additional 1200 casualties upon the enemy. Their were no further attempts by the remaining troops to escape due in part that most of the Kymurian leadership including General Roldroff escaped during the break out, after a further three days the remaining forces capitulated due to lack of supplies. The battles around the Altin Dunes had cost the Kymurian’s 2,000 dead and 7,000 taken prisoner, only 1,000 of the original force of ten thousand escaped, Anjuin losses numbered 800 men. This decisive Anjuin victory prompted the dismissal of General von Roldroff from field command and forced the army to evacuate the entire western region of the Azer. The Kymurian Colonial army as a whole was close to collapsing as a military organisation. The spread of defeatism, low morale, large territorial losses and high casualties had affected its ranks greatly. The replacement commander, the now Baron Wrettin, realised that the war could go on no longer. The Al-Danbarrs had once again captured the entire disputed Azer Desert, some 250,000 square miles, 20,000 Kymurian’s and 1,000 Anjuin soldiers lost their lives in the fighting. Rum City was permitted to remain a Kymurian colony state, since they resented returning to Al-Danbarr rule. Rum’s contending ideologies and weak governments dominated the country until the foundation of the tyrannical Rum State which resulted in a military government. Forty more years of inept leadership led to the suicide of Baron Wrettin.